Friday, 21 December 2012

What Happened in 2012?

Kicking off 2012 saw the arrival of a new bike for a very specific purpose. The Scott Scale 29er cruises effortlessly along the bridleways of the North and South Downs.

Completing the South Downs Triple was the major achievement of the year, being the only person insane enough to take on the 300 mile challenge. Backed by a fantastic support crew I arrived in Winchester for the second time, 37 hours after originally setting out from Eastbourne.

Prior to the Triple in June I enjoyed an enlightening coaching week in Portugal with AQR Coaching. Packing the oversized bike to take on the plane was an interesting process.

Most of the second half of the year was spent off the bike recovering from the extreme ride in June. Helping out at Bog Dog near Brighton was a very rewarding experience enabling others to enjoy the trails and the thrill of the race.

Watching live athletics for the first time in the Paralympics was awesome. We shouted loudly as Jonny Peacock won his 100m Gold on the Thrilling Thursday. At the Olympic Museum it was interesting seeing my Great Grandmother’s sporting achievements as she was the first woman to win a Gold medal in 1904.

Surprising my wife for her birthday, we saw further sporting achievements in the form of Europe’s Strongest Man, it made us feel rather skinny.

What a year 2012 has been. Riding the South Downs Triple was such a lifetime experience I’m preparing a detailed account of the ride for a short book.